The Tampa Water Department is modifying its disinfection method for City of Tampa customers between Oct. 16 and Oct. 30. During this period, water distributed to all customers will be converted from chloramine to chlorine disinfection. This temporary conversion is a standard water system maintenance measure to optimize water quality without the loss of millions of gallons of drinking water via system flushing.

Customers may notice a slight difference in the taste and odor of their drinking water while chlorine is in use. The level of chlorine will be 2.5 to 3.5 milligrams per liter for most customers (for comparison, one teaspoon of salt is 5,000 milligrams.) This is the same level of chlorine used to treat Tampa’s drinking water for more than 50 years prior to converting to chloramine disinfection in the 1980s.

During the treatment period, the water department will conduct daily testing to monitor water quality and assess the effectiveness of the temporary change in disinfection method.

Health officials advise that kidney dialysis patients should not be impacted by the chlorine treatment but anyone with special health concerns is encouraged to contact their health care provider with questions about their health care.

Individuals who keep fish for a hobby who already have a system in place to remove chloramines from tank or pond water should not be affected. Questions about aquarium maintenance during the temporary treatment period should be referred to local pet care providers.

For more information, contact City of Tampa Utilities at (813) 274-8811, option 3, or visit TampaGov.net/watermaintenance.

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